The Meadowcroft Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

This is the first inspection of this newly registered service and therefore we assessed all 7 quality statements from this key question. Based on the findings of this assessment, our rating for this key question is good. Staff knew about people’s preferences and wishes and treated everyone as an individual. Staff ensured they communicated and shared information with people in a way they could easily understand. Care plans gave a good overview of people's support needs. People were treated fairly and free from the fear of being discriminated against. People were supported to understand their equality and human rights and how staff and managers would respect these. Staff supported people to plan for their end of their life care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People told us staff treated them as individuals and care staff who regularly supported them were familiar with their needs, preferences and daily routines. One person said, “the home is person-centred. They know what I like and what I don’t.”

Staff demonstrated good awareness of people’s individual support needs and preferences. For example, they were aware of the term ‘person-centred’ and what this meant practically in terms of supporting people using the service. One member of staff told us, “Person-centred care is about treating people as an individual. Everyone has their own needs and likes.” Another added, “People’s care plans are person-centred and tell us everything we need to know about a person’s needs and wishes and how to meet them.”

Staff practices showed that they were aware of what it meant to provide individualised care. Staff asked people what they wanted and provided people with choices.

People told us they received person-centred care from staff who were familiar with their individual care needs, preferences and daily routines.

Staff expressed confidence that they were familiar with the personalised care, preferences and daily routines of the people they regularly supported.

External professionals expressed confidence in the staff team's approach to providing personalised care.

Care plans were up to date, person-centred and contained detailed information about people’s unique strengths, likes and dislikes, and how they preferred staff to meet their personal care needs and wishes. Staff were committed to reviewing people’s care and support on an ongoing basis. Care plan reviews took place at regular intervals or as and when required if people’s needs and wishes changed.

People told us they were provided with accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to their individual communication needs.

Managers and staff confirmed they could supply people with information about the service in accessible formats as and when this was requested.

The provider had systems in place that enabled them to supply people with information about the service in accessible formats as and when required. For example, the service users guide, and the provider's complaints procedure could be made available in a variety of different formats, including large print, audio and different language versions. People’s communication needs and preferred method of communication was clearly highlighted in their personalised care plan.

People told us the provider routinely sought their views about the service they received. People, and those important to them, took part in making decisions and planning of the personal care package they received. One person said, “Staff listen and respond to my needs and I feel able to raise issues with them if needed.” A relative added, “I am fully involved in risk assessing and planning the care for my [family member] with the staff who look after him.” People were aware that if they wished to complain they could speak to the manager and staff in-charge. People felt their complaint or concern would be taken seriously and investigated. One person said, “I feel able to raise concerns with the manager if needed.” A relative added, “Under the new manager, I do have more confidence that they will follow-through with taking actions. When she [manager] says she will get something sorted, she does.”

The provider valued and listened to the views of staff. Staff were encouraged to contribute their ideas about what the service did well and what they could do better.

The provider promoted an open and inclusive culture which regularly sought the views of people they supported and encouraged them to actively get involved in making informed decisions about the service they received. They used a range of methods to gather people’s views about the service and checked their wellbeing. This included regular meetings.

People could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Staff understood people had a right to receive the care and support that met their specific individual needs.

External health and social care professionals told us the provider made sure their clients could access the care and support they needed when they needed it.

People received care and support from staff according to their individually assessed needs and wishes. People had access to external health care and social care professionals as and when needed.

People were provided with the care and support they wanted based on their specific needs. People were engaged and supported by staff to be included and have the same opportunity as others to receive the care and support of their choice.

Staff understood people had a right to be treated equally and fairly, to receive care and support that met their specific needs. Staff understood about people’s cultural heritage and spiritual needs and how to protect people from discriminatory behaviours and practices. The manager confirmed they ensured people who requested to have gender specific care staff to provide their personal care was met. The chef told us, “I know exactly what people living here can and cannot eat based on their beliefs or dietary preferences. For example, we have a number of people here who are vegetarians, so I always make sure there’s a vegetarian option on the daily menus.”

People’s care plans contained detailed information about their individual wishes and preferences in relation to how their social, cultural and spiritual needs should be met. This meant staff had access to information about how people should be supported with their specific cultural and spiritual needs and wishes. Training records showed staff received equality and diversity training to help them make sure people were not subjected to discriminatory behaviours and practices.

When people were nearing the end of their life, they received compassionate and supportive care. This was confirmed by people's relatives who told us their loved ones who were receiving palliative care had been supported to have a comfortable and dignified death by staff working at the care home. People told us they had been asked about their end-of-life care wishes, which had included where they wanted to die and what their spiritual and cultural wishes were. People were also reassured that their pain and other symptoms will be assessed and managed effectively as they approached the end of their life, including having access to support from specialist external palliative care professionals.

Staff told us people’s wishes for their end-of-life care, including their spiritual and cultural wishes, were discussed, and recorded in their care plan. Staff had received end of life care training. Managers told us they worked in close partnership with the GP and palliative care professionals from the local hospice, which ensured they always had access to specialist advice and guidance regarding best end of life care practice. The provider was also in the process of working towards achieving the Gold Standards Framework (GSF) accreditation. GSF is an end-of-life care programme designed to help staff deliver the best quality of care for people moving towards the end of their life. Progress made by the provider to achieve this aim will be closely monitored by the CQC.

We saw people had advanced end of life care plans which had been developed with them and their relatives and included DNAR (do not resuscitate) forms where people had agreed to this. These plans contained detailed information about people’s wishes in relation to their final days, places of importance, symptom control and future care. This ensured staff were aware of people’s wishes and that people would have dignity, comfort, and respect at the end of their life.